The only thing is, I’m not overly paying attention to my surroundings. Finding my way to a shop I’ve only been to once while staring at the ground is problematic on a purely navigational level, and that’s not yet even touching on the complexities!
Right as I glance up, ready to acknowledge that I am a little bit lost in this little town square, it’s then that I walk—bang!—right into someone.
“What are ye doing here?” Hook asks, frowning at me.
I cross my arms over my chest, suddenly self-conscious of the dress I’m wearing. I’m wearing it for me, not him.? §
“I’m just collecting something. I know you said to stay on that side of the island, but I just—”
He shakes his head. “I shudnae hae said that.”
That disarms me for a bit, but just for a second. I straighten up again. “But you did.”
He shrugs. “Aye, but I d?dnae mean it.”
I step around him as though I know where I’m going. “Do you make a habit of saying things you don’t mean?”
He walks after me. “It’s a habit a’m trying t’ break.”
I turn around to face him, and my eyes pinch.
“Why are ye here?” he asks, gentler.
“I told you.” I look past him like I have some other place to be. I do, actually. “I needed something.”
He nods. “Where’s the wee man?”
“I don’t know.” I shrug mindlessly. “Off somewhere.”
His face falters. “It’s November first.”
“I know,” I tell him, rather dignified.
He waits a few seconds, lifts an eyebrow. “It’s yer birthday.”
I don’t know why, but my face falls to a pout. “How do you know that?”
He cocks an eyebrow. “’Acause ye told me and I’m no’ a piece o’ shit.”
I say nothing, because what could I even say?
“Is this what yer doing fer yer birthday?” Jamison looks around a bit confused. “Daphne, where’s Peter?” he asks, looking up in the sky for a second as though he might be circling us from above. He then looks back at me, and I suppose my face gives away that I have absolutely no idea.
Hook angles his jaw and gives me a look. “Yer joking me.”
I sigh and look away, fold my arms over my chest.
Jamison nods his chin at me. “What do ye need?”
“A map.”
He nods. “To where?
“Mount Carnealian.”
“Yer going t’ the volcano?” he asks, an eyebrow up.
I nod.
“By yerself?”
I nod again, nose in the air this time.
Jamison scratches his chin. “Aye, I’ve got a map. Come on.” He nods his head in the direction of his ship.
I follow him wordlessly. He weaves through people, me weaving after him. I don’t mind the feeling of it, me following him instead of him following me. For a moment, I catch myself thinking he might be someone worthy of following, but I look to my hand, feel the memory I’m holding that I can’t see: “Take her clothes off. Fuck her in a bath.”
Just because someone’s giving you a map doesn’t mean they’re good all of a sudden. It might just mean they want you off their part of the island and handing you a map is the fastest way to do so.
I follow him into the cabin of his ship. He starts rummaging around, pulling things from drawers, tossing them on his bed. He’s talking to himself. Everything he’s looking at looks nothing like a map.
“Come on then.” I put my hands on my hips. “What are you doing? Where’s this map of yours?”
Jamison looks over at me, flashes me a curt smile. “Yer looking at it.”
“What?” I frown.
He points to himself.
My head pulls back. “You?”
He nods. “As I live and breathe.”
My eyes pinch. “You hate me.”
Another nod. “I d?nnae.”
I fold my arms over my chest. “I annoy you.”
“Aye,” he nods. “Very much so.”
I shake my head at him. “You don’t have to do this.”
He stares over at me for a few seconds, then turns away. “I ken I d?nnae hae to.” He starts putting the things on his bed into a rucksack and says without looking at me, “I want to.”
“Are you sure?” I stare over at him, nervous.
He looks back at me and doesn’t speak for a moment or three. “Aye.”
“Okay.”
He ties his pack, then walks over to me and maybe stands closer to me than he needs to. “It’s about a day’s hike there and back.”